Amalgamator



y 1931'. R. LUCKENBAQFI 1,807,162

- AMALGAMATOR Filed Aug. 23, 1928 all N'Q m INVENTORI 4% ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES ROYER LUCKENBACH, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK I AMALGAMATOR Application filed August 23, 1928. Serial No. 301,506.

7 The present invention relates to devices for removing a mineral from its ore and discharging the gangue into a suitable waste outlet while retaining the mineral in its natu ral or treated state for further refinement or separation. More'particularly, the invention relates to devices of the above character in which centrifugal force is utilized to aid in the separation, this force serving not only to separate the lighter from the heavier particles'but' also to cause the ore to be thrown into intimate contactwith a substance which acts upon the mineral to remove it from the ore; The most common substance for performing this function is activated mercury.

By reason of its great weight the mercury is thrown outwardly against vertical walls by the centrifugal forceand the ore, as it is continually fed into. the machine, is thrown 0 against this wall of mercury, thus effectively exposing all surfaces of the particles of ore tothe mercury to cause the latter to separate the entire mineralcontent from the ore.

In accordance with the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a device which is capable of receiving a continuous supply of mineral laden ore as well as a continuous supply of activated mercury and effecting thecomplete separation. of the mineral from the ore as the latter passes through the device. It is contemplated that the ore will travel a circuitous route and be thrown against several batches of activated mercury stance then being discharged after its entire mineral content has been removed.

- Further objects will appear as the inven tion is described more fully in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein the 0 single figure is a view insectionthrough a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the rotating element and manner of forming successive compartments for receiving the continuous ore supply and treating in successive stages. vMore particularly, the device" comprises an outer stationary casing a mounted uponpedestals'rz f-This casing is formed with inner and outer walls a and m, respectively. In

9 the pr ferredrform these Wells form anan-i in successivestages, the waste or treated subnular chamber a 'with a-sloping bottomai. An outlet a is provided at the lowest portion of the sloping bottom and the gangue is discharged at this point into a suitable conduit for carrying it away. A partition a? extends upwardly from the bottom of the chamber to form an inner chambera formed with'a valved outlet a and a-gauge a ,-the former serving to permit the withdrawal of the contents of the inner chamber in'ac'cordance with the conditions as indicatedby the gauge.

' The outer wall a is'formed with-a flange at at its top to provide a bearing for the top 6 of the mechanism. l/Ving nuts and bolts 6 secure the top to the casing and a downwardly extending annular flange b -is formed on the top to be receivedin the an-: nular chamber a This flange .serves as a battle against which the ore impingesas'it flies outwardly due to centrifugal force. After striking the flange b the ore fall'sinto the annular chambera from which it overflows into the chamber a. r

-.The cover I) is formed with'a downwardly stepped portion 6 from which depends a cylindricalamalgam plate 6 the functionaof which will be described hereinafter. A sec ond'step'ped portion 6 on the cover carries a depending pot b. The bottom of the pot is formed with a central recess 6' into which is threaded a fitting '6 having an upwardly extending shoulder 6 The bottom ofthe pot contains a quantity of activated mercury 6 as indicated in dotted lines. To the inner verticalwall of the'second stepped portion 12 a funnel 6 is secured, the restricted aperture 5 of which is coaxial with the aperture 6 of the pot. A spider 6 supports a cylindrical container 25 within which a supply of activated mercury is main-1 tained. Extending downwardly fromthe 'chamberZ) -,'pipe Z2 passes throughthe apertures. 72 and b and servesto discharge a desired quantity of'activated mercury, the amount of which may becontrolled by. a valve 6 which functions automatically, into the rotating element described hereinafter. r-A spreaderi disc b is mounted on the, pipe 6 andcau es the e to he 'clischarg d adj cent 1% the periphery thereof. A flange 6 is formed at the periphery of the disc to maintain a quantity of ore and activated mercury on the disc continually, a second container 6 being 5 carried by the spider to discharge a desired quantity of activated mercury upon the disc through valved pipe 6. The. foregoing structure, when considered with the, supply pipe for introducing the ore into the machine, comprises the stationary portion thereof. For mixing-- the ore and activated mercury intimately and causing the complete, separation of the mineral from the ore the following rotating portion of the device is provided. Mounted upon a pedestal d through, bearings; (Z is. {a rotatable, plate, 6. This plate isfldirectly below the pot b and receives the overflow therefrom through the aperture 6. At the periphery of the plate, adepending annular channel 6 is formed, the outer wall 6 of which extends upwardly opposite the vertical wall of the pot b and concentric therewith. At the top of the vertical wall 0 an inwardly extending radial flange e is formed, As activated mercury is dropped upon the rotating plate 6, it covers the surface thereof and falls into the channel; 6- Being veryheavy, the centrifugal force causes the mercury to climb the vertical wall 0? and. form; a vertical column as; indicated in dotted linesat 6 Theoreinpassing through the'funnel and-over the distributing disc b"- will comeinto contact withthe activated mercury. 6 Within the pot 5 Itis. then. discharged through the aperture 67 and falls upon the rotating plate Vei The centrifugal force imparted to the oreby the rotating-plate causestlie former to be thrown outwardly into the channel 6 at which point it comes. into contact with the centrifugal column ofmercury'e. In. the above described travel, the ore has, in effect, been in contact with themercury in fourdiiferent stagesviz; on; thedisc, inthepot, upontheirotating plate, and in the channel e and its. vertical column ofmercury e. The heavier particlesof one which con tain: the mineral; ane forced outwardly toengage the mercurye while the lighter-particles are. carried; over the periphery of the radial flange e. Passing over this, the ore isthrown outwardly against the stationary amalgam plate band-falls into a: chamber at which is concentric to the amalga-mgplate b and is formed with anannular channel-e secured:to 55 the vertical: wall; e byY-means of suitable flanges-e Thevertical wall e is formed with a T-sha-ped extremity 6 the outer flange ofwhich has-1a depending flange overlying-the innerwa-ll- .a -of'the outer cas'inga and prevents the :ore from falling? through the space between-the. rotatingian'd stationary members. As,- the ore is, received in the channel a the centrifugali force imparted thereto causes= it; to impinge' against-a vertical column of merit cu ve, thus mending-an additional stage,

for removing any mineral which might be left in the ore after passing through the stages described above.

7 As stated in connection with the channel and vertical wall 6 the heavier or mineral laden particles of the ore impinge against the verti al. column of-activated, mercury e3 while the} lighter particles pass out over the T- shaped periphery of the wall 6 and impinge against the depending flange b By means of'the above described construction, the amalgam plate I) and additional column of mercury 6 provide two further stages in which the, ore is brought into contact with the activated mercury to eifect the ompleteseparation offthemineraltherefrom. Drain cocks, f are, provided at, suitable points in the bottoms ofthe channels 0. and e elid permitthe withdrawal: ofthe activated mere-- curywhich has attacked the mineral carried; 5 by the ore. This porti n of themercury is heavier than the fresh activated-mercury and, accordingly collectsin the. bottoms'of the channels. Asecond supply of activated-mercury may be carried in a chamber 9- for replenishing the mercury within the ,channele and the entire rotatable structure; is driven through a shaft hand power source h". a 1

F or obtaining be'stresults theore is;groud and mixed with water in order that itmay readily pass through, the device, the; Small, particlesof ore aiding materially in causing the mineral toj be removedcompletely therefrom; i

\Nhile the invention hasv been describedrin; connection with the specific device shown in; the accompanying: drawing, it is. understood that the specific-v designi and cons i llotionzmly be altered: in accordance; WithaVary-ing conditions and the invention; is not to be; li'mitedi 105 ion save as definedinithe appended claims.

I- claim aslmyv invention; 7 1. .A device for separating-mineral; from ore comprising: ineansto supply orecontinu ously, a cylindricalchambenhaving, a vent-i-- no cal wall formed with aninwardly projecting flangeadjacent the top, thereof, means-to rotatethe chamber, means: to introduce the. one. intothe chamber, Said cham er containing a medium for separatingthe mineral, fnomthlex 1 1-5 ore, means to: remove; the separated minenal, a cover for the chamber, ,a-depending-rfeceptacle, carried by the cover within the chamber, and formed with an aperture, adj acent, the axis thereof, a funnel; carried byxth'e cover it!!! and having-its-mouth coaxial with=theaper ture in the receptacle, a: spread-erpdisc withinthe receptacle'below'the funnel and extend.- ing' adjacentptheinternal' periphery thereof, and means: to supplythe ore toithedisc .v

2,. A device. forseparatingwminenalfrom orecomprising? means tosupplyore,- continue ously, acylifndrica-l chamber having a. vertical wall formed-with an inwardly; projecting I flangeadgacentihe top thereof meanstg We n;

tate the chamber, means to introducethe ore into the chamber, said chamber containing a medium for separating the mineral from the ore, means to remove the separated mineral, a cover for the chamber, a depending receptacle carried by the cover within the chamber and formed with an aperture adjacent the axis thereof, a funnel carried by the cover and having its mouth coaxial with the aperture in the receptacle, a spreader disc within the receptacle below the funnel and extending adjacent the internal periphery thereof, a spider carried by the cover and carrying a container for the medium, and means to supply ore to the disc.

3. A device for separating mineral from ore comprising means to supply ore continuously, a cylindrical chamber having a vertical wall formed with an inwardly projecting flange adjacent the top thereof, means to rotate the chamber, means to introduce the ore into the chamber, said chamber containing a medium for separating the mineral from the ore, means to remove the separated mineral, a cover for the chamber, a depending receptacle carried by the cover within the chamber and formed with an aperture adjacent the axis thereof, a spider carried with the cover and carrying a container for the medium, a pipe extending downwardly from the container through the aperture in the receptacle, a spreader disc mounted upon the pipe within the receptacle extending adjacent the internal periphery thereof, and

' means to supply ore to the disc.

4. A device for separating mineral from ore comprising means to supply ore continuously, a cylindrical chamber having a verti cal wall formed with an inwardly projecting flange adjacent the top thereof, means to rotate the chamber, means to introduce the ore into the chamber, said chamber containing a medium. for separating the mineral from the ore, means to remove the separated mineral, a cover for the chamber, a depending receptacle carried by the cover within the chamber and formed with an aperture adjacent the axis thereof, an upwardly extending flange forming the aperture, a spreader disc within the receptacle and extending adjacent the internal periphery thereof, and means to supply the ore to the disc.

This specification signed this 22nd day of August, A. D. 1928.

ROYER LUCKENBACH. 

